The Uzumaki Rebirth
by ShatteredTwilight
Summary: From the darkness, a new tailed beast is born. From the shadows, a girl emerges to enact the dark will of her master. From within, the Roots attack the leaves. It's always darkest... Currently in Hiatus.
1. Prologue: Rebirth

_**I highly recommend reading The Uzumaki Identity before reading this story.**_ However I'm not going to stop you from reading this one!

I have chosen a new penname, _Shattered Twilight,_ in celebration of this occasion.

_The Uzumaki Rebirth_

**Prologue: **_Rebirth_

_Ba-bump…ba-bump…ba-bump…_

"**Hmmm. So my time has finally come. The Fox has fallen and nature is ready for me to take his place. I didn't think I'd see the day…fear not my friend I will do my best to fill your role.**"

Out of the shadows a large wolf strode forward. Swinging back and forth behind him were nine tails. With each step the wind picked up a little more, the trees began to creak, and rocks began to shatter where they lie…

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_Naruto's Mindscape_

_Fssssshhhh…_

The Nine Tailed Fox glanced up as it heard a hissing sound near the front of the seal.

"_**Is that you brat?**_" the Fox rumbled. Slowly picking itself up, the Fox made its way to the front of the cage that held him captive. "_**Hmmm? Heheheh…AHAHAHAHA! Freedom has come at last!**_"

On the door of the cage the single piece of paper that held it shut and kept the Fox at bay had caught fire. The seal burned slowly, peeling away from the metal and sagging towards the floors.

The Fox began pacing with anticipation; barely restrained malice flickered behind its eyes. Whatever was setting him free was doing it very slowly, taking its time, but the Fox was fine with that. He had waited twenty years, what was a few more seconds?

The moment of truth finally came as the rest of the seal fell away and drifted slowly to the ground before burning out completely. With a roar the Fox threw itself at the gate determined to break free and start his work anew.

The moment the fox touched the gate, however, it exploded with energy and threw the Fox back. Bright light blinded the terrible being of power for several seconds before letting up and when it could once more see the cage its eyes widened in surprise. The gate to freedom no longer existed and was instead replaced with solid bars.

The fox collapsed to the ground as it felt its consciousness begin to slip. It didn't have much longer and there were things that needed to be said.

"_**BRAT! COME FORTH!**_" The fox roared.

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_Konohagakure_

Naruto Uzumaki kicked his door open as he struggled with groceries that his girlfriend, Sakura Haruno, had forced him to buy. There was nothing he could do of course. As his girlfriend she held a unique leverage over him. Regardless he still resented the fact that she was forcing him to spend his hard earned ramen money on things like _vegetables._

Pocketing his keys as best as he could, Naruto shuffled into his apartment. However, not three steps into the small building he felt his chest seize up and it felt like his stomach was on fire. Dropping the groceries, Naruto began tearing at his shirt until he could see his stomach.

He was alarmed to see that the seal on his stomach was casting a hellish red glow on the room but it was quickly forgotten as mind numbing pain washed over him. Naruto fell to the ground and clawed at his stomach as it continued to burn. Blackness quickly claimed Naruto as he slipped into unconsciousness.

"Some…one…help."

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_Elsewhere_

Kirdei Tatsumaki found himself in the most dangerous situation of his life. No matter what actions he took he would surely die. Kirdei struggled to keep his heart rate low and his breathing steady but it was a losing battle. Kirdei watched a ray of light slowly traverse his face as his considered his options.

On one hand, he could sit and wait for his inevitable death that would come if he didn't act. Not an appealing option.

Kirdei glanced over at Ino's sleeping face. Mere seconds from now the ray of early morning light would strike his angel's eyes and cause her to wake up and kill him for not shutting the blinds properly. Kirdei nearly laughed as he thought of her as his angel. Also because early isn't quite the word for the time it currently was. It was almost noon.

She had practically forced him to be her boyfriend and within a couple months also got him to move in with her. Yet, as loud and annoying as she could be sometimes, she had truly become the center of his life.

Kirdei quickly returned to thinking of his other option as the ray of light hit his other eye. He could attempt to sneak over to the blinds and shut them better and thus defusing the situation, which he would have done in the first place, if Ino hadn't somehow wrapped her arms and legs around him in a death-grip in the middle of the night.

Trying to remove himself from her grip would likely wake her and result in his death.

'Choices, choices…'

Kirdei could only turn his head away as the ray of light traveled over to Ino's nose.

'At least I lived a good life and made the right decisions in the end.' Kirdei thought as Ino began to stir.

"Mmm…what time is it…" Ino said as she released Kirdei to look over at her clock. "NOON!" She screeched to an empty room.

Kirdei looked back at Ino's apartment when he heard her screech. Sure, running away wouldn't save him from her terrible, righteous, feminine wrath, but it would at least buy him enough time to have a last meal.

"KIRDEI, YOU ARE SO DEAD WHEN I FIND YOU!" Kirdei heard her scream.

"Hmm. I wonder if Naruto's eaten yet." Kirdei said as he placed his hands behind his head and walked away at a slightly faster pace.

_**Kirdei…**_

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_The Land of Water_

Tosen Yukisawa cursed silently as he walked back towards his clan's home. He had never been angrier in his life. One of the villagers had spit at him and called him a demon. Normally he would have just ignored them, but then they mentioned his cousin…

It had all started when his aunt had decided that it was time to reveal that their clan was a carrier of a kekkei genkai. She wanted the village to see that despite their blood heritage, they lived as normal people, rarely bothering to develop their unique skill.

His younger cousin had been in school that day. She usually walked home by herself and that day was no different. Some villagers had recognized her after hearing the news…she never stood a chance. Tosen had been the one to find her corpse. She had been among the first to die that day.

Among the casualties were his aunt and mother; his older cousin had quickly stepped up and proposed a cease fire to the village elder. Somehow, the two had managed to get the villagers to settle down. Just under the surface, however, hate and anger boiled waiting for the opportunity to be set loose.

And today, when that bastard had revealed that he had been the one to kill his cousin, Tosen drowned the man with his kekkei genkai.

His friend and fellow clan member had rushed ahead to the clan house to warn them of what had happened but Tosen didn't care.

"There he is! Get'em!" Someone yelled.

Tosen spun and commanded the water that hung heavily in the air to solidify around his hands. He quickly charged the group of angry villagers with abandon.

"**SO MUCH HATRED…IT WILL BE ERASED FROM THIS WORLD.**" Something roared. Tosen and the villagers skidded to a stop and gaped at the giant blue wolf that had appeared out of nowhere.

Tosen watched in awe as one of the tails the beast smashed through several trees like toothpicks as it swooped at him. Tosen was dead before he realized what was going on.

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_Konohagakure_

Kirdei glanced up at the sky as he made his way towards Naruto's apartment; truly Shikamaru was on to something with the cloud watching thing. It was so…calming.

So much had happened in the short time since he had arrived in Konoha. He had, not surprisingly, drawn the ire of many of the Villagers and Ninja alike. Just by being a former member of the Akatsuki had given his name a dark taint to most, and he couldn't blame them for feeling that way.

Worse than that, the Senior Jonin Counsel had it out for him, especially Danzo. He had originally come off as a friendly older man, offering Kirdei membership in his personal Anbu division, Roots. When Kirdei politely declined, however he became cold, and quietly told him that he would regret siding with the Jinchuriki.

He had mixed reactions among his peers. Hinata had been extremely hostile towards him and still blamed Kiba's death on him. He was often inclined to agree with her. Most of the rest of the former rookie nine and Team Guy accepted him with mild distrust or complete indifference.

The only one who openly accepted him besides Ino, Sakura and Naruto was Lee, and for that Kirdei was grateful. The man, though strange often provided Kirdei with company and offers of training that Kirdei would once in awhile accept.

The biggest difference he had noticed however was the return of the tugging in his chest. He had discovered that anytime he left either of his jutte at home, he felt unbearably uncomfortable and naked. Fortunately, carrying at least one made the discomfort manageable.

He had discovered this when he had tried to leave them at home when meeting his team for the first time. He wanted to seem as normal as possible, but the tugging began before he even left.

However, Kirdei could never bring himself to carry the black handled dagger he had named _Dusk, _despite the constant tugging at his chest_._ It reminded him too much of the darkness he had lost himself in while with the Akatsuki. Fortunately, _Dawn_, the jutte with the white cord reminded him of the light he had found and never left his person.

Kirdei turned and entered Naruto's apartment complex, ignoring the villager's distrustful stares, and made his way towards Naruto's apartment.

When Naruto's door came in view Kirdei gasped and rushed in the open door.

The sight that awaited Kirdei was stunning. Naruto's face was the picture of the worst pain imaginable and his stomach seal was glowing fiery red; exposed to the world through Naruto's ripped shirt. Kirdei wasted no time unsealing his notebook that contained the basics of sealing.

"**Soshigan!**" Kirdei said, activating his bloodline. Kirdei set to work checking his friend's vitals before moving to the seal.

Kirdei was stunned by the genius of the fourth Hokage. The seal was a true masterpiece; simple in design yet able to lock away, suppress, and leak the Fox's chakra as needed.

Just as Kirdei began to wonder where to begin the seal exploded, leaving the skin on Naruto's stomach slightly pink where it had once resided.

"Holy…" Kirdei said as the only thing keeping the Fox at bay was utterly and completely destroyed…

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Well that was chapter 1 of the new series The Uzumaki Rebirth. However due to time constraints, I will be updating infrequently. So really this is more of a teaser. For a little refresher, here's a character bio of Kirdei Tatsumaki.

**Character Bio #1: **

_**Name**_: Kirdei Tatsumaki

_**Age**_: 19

_**Height**_: 5' 11"

_**Eye**_: Ice Blue (Varied when the Soshigan is activated)

_**Hair**_: Blond

_**Elemental Affinities**_: Wind, Water, Fire, Earth, Lightning, Light, Dark

_**Bio**_: Born to the Tatsumaki Clan of Hakumeigakure, Kirdei quickly became the clan's prodigy. It was said that he had more potential than any other member of his clan since his grandfather.

At a young age the Tatsumaki clan's dojutsu, **Soshigan**, manifested itself in him giving him access to the five basic elements of Ninjutsu; Wind, Water, Fire, Earth, and Lightning. Unfortunately, when he was 10 years old, Orochimaru attacked and destroyed Hakumeigakure. Most of his clan was wiped out after resisting Orochimaru's attempts to capture them and the only other member to survive, unknown to him, was his cousin, Riku Mikkoku. Other survivors of the attack include Wolf Kasaikou and Kuroiaki Mizuhime.

The trio was picked up by the Akatsuki and he served them until he met Naruto Uzumaki. A series of events eventually led to Kirdei abandoning the Akatsuki and joining Konoha. During those same events Kirdei managed to unlock the final level of the **Soshigan** allowing him to access Light and Dark Chakra, and he gained the Artifacts _Dawn_ and _Dusk._ However due to the recent events he has refused to carry _Dusk_ as he feels it represents the darkness within him.


	2. Obsolete

Sorry for the long wait! I started college this semester and it turned out to be far more time consuming than I originally thought.

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**Chapter 1: Obsolete**

_Naruto's Mindscape_

Naruto cursed as he woke in the maze like environment that was his mind. Intense pain burned throughout his body but it was distant, unimportant at the moment.

Something was definitely wrong. Aside from the pain, the fox was never before able to force him into his mindscape; it was always the other way around, usually due to extreme anger or panic.

And the floor was completely _dry._ Every single time Naruto had been in that dank sewer a layer of water had always covered the floor. Sometimes it would only be ankle deep while other times it threatened to drown him completely in his rage, but it was always there.

The fact that it wasn't made him nervous.

Naruto quickly made his way towards the Fox's holding cell. There was only one reasonable explanation in his mind and it wasn't good.

"Damn it…" Naruto growled.

Naruto rounded the final corner and was stunned. The once dank, metal cage that had always held back his resident was gone. In its place were new metal bars that shone with an ethereal light. The door of the cage had been completely removed, trapping the Fox inside.

"_**Hurry, Brat…There isn't much time**_**.**" The Fox growled out.

Naruto blinked at what he saw. The Fox was lying on its side, looking as threatening as a newborn kitten.

"What the hell happened, Fox? This better not be some sort of trick!" Naruto yelled as he approached tentatively.

"_**If only…no there's no more time for tricks. Even for a fox like me.**_" The Fox said quietly.

"What did you call me here for and what's going on with the seal."

"_**It's gone…or more specifically, it's been reinforced.**_"

"W-what do you mean gone?" Naruto asked as he took a step back.

"_**Did you know that each tailed beast has a purpose?**_"

"Huh?" Naruto responded with all his wit.

"_**My job was to destroy large concentrations of hate and anger. To balance out nature. If too much hate and anger manifest in an area it can lead to disastrous wars and conflicts that can damage nature beyond repair. So nature created me to end these wars of hate preemptively. You humans however weren't satisfied with being babied so you created methods to control us.**_"

"What the hell do you mean? What is all this about wars and hate? Is it about your attack on Konoha? Surely we didn't have that much hatred!" Naruto cried out in defense.

"_**It only takes the hate of the few to start wars. The Uchiha had plenty of hate and had the will to start a civil war. Madara Uchiha in particular. However I wasn't expecting the leader of your village to use such a fatal jutsu. Even so, the damage and death was great enough that the Uchiha were set back several years.**_"

"The Uchiha were planning civil war?!"

"_**Silence…there isn't much more time. I couldn't escape so I had to be content with guiding your subconscious into doing some of the work for me. Every battle where the overwhelming odds were set against you…I guided you to victory.**_"

"Then you mean…" Naruto gasped as his world began to fall away. Had the fox been controlling him the whole time?

"_**No…your strength and actions were your own. You'd be surprised how a moment of clarity in the heat of battle can change your actions though. When you fought Zabuza for the first time…you're first reaction was to run far and fast. I suggested to your subconscious to glance at the wound on your hand. After that you managed to pull yourself together and attack.**_" The fox shuddered.

"_**The point is that even though you were destroying hate everywhere you went by making friends out of enemies and beating down those you couldn't, it wasn't enough. Nature began gathering chakra in order to recreate a 'nine-tailed beast'. However the amount of chakra needed is immense. It was only just now that nature completed its first labor. Because of that the seal was forcibly sealed permanently. I can no longer exist in the real world and my mind is shutting down. I am obsolete.**_"

"Wait you mean that there is new tailed beast! Then…!"

"_**LISTEN! My body will not fade even though my mind will in a few more minutes. You now have access to my stores of chakra, uninhibited by my personality. You could fully draw out all my chakra without being influenced in the slightest. But the danger remains the same! My demonic chakra will eat you inside and out as you use more of it. Also know that you'll have to relearn to use it, the seal has been altered and so the way to draw the chakra has as well…I'm out of time…good luck, Naruto Namikaze.**_"

"Wait!" Naruto yelled before the world went black.

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_Naruto's Apartment_

Kirdei flung himself backwards as he tore his shirt open. In the blink of an eye the kanji for fire was inscribed on his stomach and Kirdei was ready to sacrifice his life to deal a nasty blow to the Nine-tailed Fox…after he got a good look at the damned beast that is…

So it came to a surprise to Kirdei, as the seconds ticked by, that no overwhelming demonic chakra and killer intent flooded the area. Another surprise came in the form of Naruto drawing in a shuddering breath.

"Naruto!" Kirdei yelled as he rushed over to his friend. Naruto remained unconscious as Kirdei peered at him. "What the hell…Jinchuriki don't survive having their beast unsealed…" Kirdei once more checked Naruto's stomach. The pink flesh that had been there after the seal had deteriorated was still there, outlining the intricate pattern of the seal.

"Wait!" Naruto suddenly shouted as he jolted awake. Kirdei had once more jumped back and had slipped into a defensive pose.

"Naruto…?" Kirdei asked cautiously, noting that Naruto's whisker marks seemed a bit faded.

"Kirdei…?" Naruto asked, puzzled at his friends presence in his apartment. His eyes suddenly widened as he remembered what happened. "Kirdei! It's gone! It's…gone…" Naruto looked away, but Kirdei had noted the look of sadness. Kirdei blinked a couple of times before realizing that he was seeing everything with startling clarity still. He quickly deactivated his Soshigan and knelt beside Naruto.

"Naruto…what the hell are you talking about?"

Naruto told him.

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Kirdei was stunned in to utter silence as Naruto finished telling what had happened in the few minutes that he had been out. It defied everything he knew about sealing. Seals didn't just spontaneously make themselves better!

"We have to go to the Hokage with this." Kirdei said quietly. "This is seriously out of my depth. I mean, yeah, I've seen some strange stuff in my time, but…" Kirdei shook his head.

"I know, but it would make me feel better if you stood by me when I did this. After all you did swear to follow me though hell if I needed you to, right?" Kirdei nodded in affirmative. Naruto hated manipulating Kirdei like that, but Kirdei wasn't the only one out of his depth. Naruto's whole world had just been shaken to the core. The fox may have been a horrible burden…but he had always had it with him!

"This changes everything though…" Kirdei said as he glanced down at the floor. "The Akatsuki don't realize that you can no longer be used…and more than that a new tailed beast is roaming…one that isn't sealed in a Jinchuriki that the fates favor. This is bad news."

Naruto nodded. "Yeah, I know. Let's go. Granny needs to hear this as soon as possible."

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Something was off with Naruto and the people of Konoha noticed it. Something was fundamentally different on a level that only the subconscious could recognize it and it confused them. Even those that would openly glare with hatred at the young man could only cast a puzzled look at him.

Maybe it was his torn shirt, or the burn like mark on his stomach, or even the fact that his whiskers were only visible if one squinted at his face.

"Everyone's acting weird." Kirdei noted as they hurried along towards the Hokage tower.

"I know. Strange..." As the pair turned the corner they were greeted with a blindingly beautiful shock of pink hair and lovely emerald eyes.

"Naruto!" Sakura shouted as she jumped him. Kirdei laughed as they fell to the floor.

"I'll see you at the tower. I'll go ahead to let the Hokage know you're coming." Kirdei said before taking to the roofs.

"It was nice seeing you, Kirdei!" Sakura called out before kissing Naruto. Naruto merely waved as his lips were otherwise occupied.

"Ahem." An older lady grunted. Sakura looked up and blushed before jumping to her feet. The lady walked off muttering about crazy kids and their need to get a room.

Naruto lifted himself off the ground and brushed himself off.

"Gotta love your greetings…they mix the tender love you have for me with the horrible violence you're able to commit." Naruto said jokingly, earning himself a bop on the head.

"You idiot. I do it because I love you! Wait…something's different about you…" Sakura got up in his face and squinted. "Your whiskers are fading!"

"Yeah. I know. You better come with me. There are some things you're going to have to know. Better sooner rather than later." Sakura frowned at his words, but nodded before following him. She had a feelings things were going to be unpleasant in the future.

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_Hokage's Tower_

Kirdei was quickly ushered into the Hokage's office the second he arrived.

'She couldn't know already could she?' Kirdei thought as Shizune ushered him into Tsunade's office.

"Kirdei." Tsunade greeted. "It's good that you came on your own. I was about to send for you."

Kirdei nodded cautiously as he moved in front of her desk and stood at attention.

"How may I serve you, Lady Hokage?" Kirdei replied respectfully.

"I've got a mission for you. The client specifically asked for you. They have also opted to pay in advance. So you'll be paid before you leave." Kirdei tilted his head to the side in confusion. He wasn't that well known yet, and it was rare that clients paid in advance. The client must have had an awful lot of faith in him.

"You're to travel to the Land of Water and escort a clan from their home to Konohagakure. They have decided to have a clan-wide immigration. You'll have to be careful because that particular village has a certain… hostility towards people with kekkei genkai. In the form of genocide. Which is part of the reason why they are immigrating."

"Understood. Lady Hokage…" Kirdei began before he was interrupted.

"I'm not finished. This will be a two person mission. Your leader…" a knock rang out before Shizune entered. "…is here."

"Hinata Hyuga is here, Lady Tsunade." Shizune announced as she opened the door for the pale-eyed heiress.

Hinata gasped softly as she saw Kirdei but walked forward and stood at attention as well.

"Lady Hokage! Surely this mission could be handled by a single person!" Kirdei burst out.

Several months ago Hinata's fiancé, Kiba Inuzuka, had died while trying to protect Naruto from a lethal strike. He had entrusted Kirdei with a ring and his last words to Hinata. Upon his return, Hinata blamed him for Kiba's death and had felt her ire ever since. He definitely didn't want to be going on a long term mission with her.

"Silence! You dare question the Hokage, _Special Genin_ Kirdei?" Tsunade yelled while slamming her fist down on her desk. Kirdei nearly fell back a step.

"No, Lady Hokage. I apologize." Kirdei said while bowing his head.

"As I said before, Hinata will be leading this mission so you will follow her orders, understood?"

"Yes, Lady Hokage." Kirdei said without looking up.

"Very well. You are dismissed."

Hinata and Kirdei quickly turned and left the room.

"Are you sure it's wise sending those two on a mission together? You've seen the reports. Hinata has nothing but hostility towards him." Shizune said when the door was closed and the pair were away.

"Even you doubt my judgment, Shizune? I'm old but not that old. I know what I'm doing, trust me. I definitely don't want Kirdei going on this mission alone."

"What if she tries to kill him in some sort of misguided attempt at revenge?" Shizune asked still worried.

"I don't think Kirdei would kill her."

"Lady Tsunade?" Shizune asked puzzled.

"Surely you don't believe that he really is Genin level?"

"Well I know you assigned him _that_ rank but is he really that strong?"

"He's stronger than Kakashi was before Sasuke defected. He just doesn't have the experience that Kakashi does." Shizune was silent for a moment.

"I'm still worried, Lady Tsunade."

"Of course you are." Tsunade said with a smile.

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"I want you at the gates in no longer than an hour." Hinata commanded as they exited the tower. Kirdei gave a quiet assent as he tucked the envelope with his pay into his pockets and began walking towards his apartment.

"Tatsumaki." Kirdei stopped and looked back in to the cold, angry eyes of Hinata.

"I will never forgive you for Kiba's death. If I ever get wind that you might be possibly be a traitor to Konoha…I will take great pleasure in avenging Kiba. So I'd watch my step if I were you."

Kirdei had already started walking away by the end of her speech. He hated being reminded of that particular failure…even though it haunted his thoughts every single day regardless.

It was a short trip back to Ino's apartment. Kirdei quickly geared up and pulled out the box that contained his jutte.

In his haste he had forgotten them and the never ending tugging nearly floored him but he had managed to ignore it for awhile because of the events that had occurred. He reached in to pull them out but could only bring himself to grab _Dawn_ before putting the box away.

"Damn it." Kirdei muttered, slipping the weapon into his sheath, before heading for the door. He still couldn't bring himself to carry _Dusk_.

"Were you going to leave without saying goodbye?" Ino asked as he reached the door. Kirdei spun around, surprised. Ino was leaning against the doorframe of their bathroom holding his cloak.

"I didn't realize you were here, love. I've got a mission with Hinata and she only gave me an hour to be at the gates, ready to go. She still hasn't forgiven me, y'know? Not sure I can blame her…" Ino stepped closer and place a kiss on his lips as she placed the cloak over his shoulders. Kirdei shivered from the kiss and the rush of power he felt when the cloak touched him.

"You should wear this more often. It makes you look sexy." Ino said with a smirk.

"Hey! I'm always se…oof!" Kirdei protested before she kicked him in the gut, out the door.

"That's for running off this morning, you bastard! Now go on and hurry home!" Ino yelled as she slammed the door shut.

"Freaking crazy..." Kirdei mumbled as he lifted himself off the ground. Kirdei took a minute to put the cloak on before taking off towards the gates.

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_Hokage's Tower_

Tsunade folded her hands in front of her face as she thought about the consequences of what Naruto had just revealed. She wasn't quite sure what to feel at the moment. On one hand she was happy for the Jinchuriki. He had finally been freed of his burden. On the other hand, the final tailed beast no longer had the protection of the person best able to protect it. It wouldn't be long before the Akatsuki caught wind that Naruto was no longer a viable target and if they captured the final beast…

"This is officially an S class secret. We need to contain this for now. The less the Akatsuki know the better. Understood."

"Kirdei knows." Naruto replied. "He was the one to discover me and he checked the seal before we left." Tsunade nodded.

"I'll send a message to him but nobody else knows. Understood? You're going to have to do something about your cheeks for now. Either apply a cosmetic jutsu or some makeup."

That had surprised her the most. By the time he had reached her office his cheeks were completely smooth. All outward sign of the fox had completely vanished. If his hair were just a little longer…

"You're dismissed." Tsunade said with a nod. Naruto whispered something to Sakura who kissed him before rushing out the door. "Something else?"

"Yeah. Granny…before he passed on…the fox called me Naruto _Namikaze_. Not Naruto Uzumaki. Why do you think that is?" Naruto said as he slammed his hands down on her desk. "Who the hell am I?"

'This day just keeps getting better and better.' Tsunade thought miserably.

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There you go! Chapter 1 is done!

Hopefully I'll be able to update more frequently here now that school is almost done.

Later!


	3. Mission: Reunion in the Land of Water

_**Chapter 2: **__Mission: Reunion in the Land of Water_

_Amegakure_

Madara smirked as he sensed a presence approach him from behind. It never failed to amuse him just how easy it was to know when someone was approaching, even now after decades have passed since he acquired the skill. Regardless, Madara continued packing his bag pretending as if he was oblivious to his subordinates approach.

As he finished, the approaching person entered the door and Madara turned around as he hefted his bag onto his back.

"**Wolf.**" Madara greeted.

"Where are you going, Lord Madara?" Wolf asked tonelessly. Madara smirked behind his mask. The boy had taken up the being 'cool and emotionless', a front the only just concealed his true energetic nature. Probably a side effect of spending too much time under the tutelage of Itachi.

"**I have business to attend to in the Land of Water.**"

"Without your cloak? Sounds like you're not planning on coming back if you ask me."

"**It isn't Akatsuki business. And more to the point, I don't answer to you. Remember that. Even 'God' answers to ME!**" Madara snarled. Wolf had been acting very high and mighty lately and it was getting on his near endless patience. As expected Wolf visibly backed down, if only by lowering his head a fraction of an inch.

"I apologize, Lord Madara. But please, Allow Kuroiaki and I to go with you." Madara almost began to retort before he started nodding to himself.

"**Yes, it would do for you to meet with him again. Good chance to see just how far you really have to go.**" For the first time since he entered the room Wolf showed emotion. A visibly shocked face quickly turned to anger.

"I see. You're going to meet _him._ I'll go get Kuroiaki." Wolf said as he turned to leave.

"**No, I think not. Only you'll be going. I don't want to have to baby sit two brats and if we start fighting I don't want to have to protect the both of you. Also don't let Kuroiaki know you're leaving.**" Wolf started to protest but it withered in the bud when he caught sight of Madara's eye.

"I'll go pack." Wolf said. Madara turned around opened a closet and tossed a bag from inside to Wolf.

"**Everything you need is in there.**"

"My sword…" A Madara clone holding Wolf's sword walked in as the words left Wolf's mouth.

"**Enough. Let's go.**" Madara growled, sprinting out the door. Wolf cursed before following.

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_Konohagakure: South Gate_

Kirdei was surprised when it wasn't Hinata waiting for him but his Jonin sensei.

Ibiki Morino had been one of the first people Kirdei was 'introduced' to when he arrived in Konoha. They had started off in the interrogation room where he was supposed to endure a painful twenty questions session, Kirdei had…convinced Ibiki that it wasn't necessary and they had tea instead. Kirdei avoided meaningless pain and Ibiki got what he needed to know so everyone won…until Kirdei had found out that he was to be his "sensei".

He took his vengeance out on Kirdei by keeping him late and working him several times as hard…or worse making him lead his team on several D-ranked missions while he was no doubt off relaxing or…something.

"Kirdei, we need to talk." Ibiki said, not wasting any time.

"Captain." Kirdei greeted. Kirdei fought the urge to shudder at the word he had deemed the 'Harbingers of Doom!' Not once had he ever heard those words in connection to a good thing. Especially from Ino…

"Kirdei…don't waste any time on this mission. Finish it and get done quickly. It really is a one person job considering both Hinata's and your own skills, but regardless of what the Hokage is thinking, you have some training that we need to get started on when you get back. I don't have many details yet but you won't be participating in the Chunin exams."

"What! What the hell do you mean I won't be in the Chunin exams?! I certainly qualify to take them! I…" Kirdei yelled before coming to a stop. A rare grin crossed Ibiki's face.

"Kid, this thing the Hokage's been planning could take you straight to the top. If you perform well…we're talking instant promotion to Jonin." Ibiki said. "Part of some program the Hokage's developing to boost military morale and impress the top brass that's going to be at the exams." Kirdei grinned wildly.

"That's…!"

"Tatsumaki! Let's go, already!" Hinata yelled from the gate. Kirdei nearly jumped out of his skin. He'd been so wrapped up in what Ibiki was saying that he missed her presence.

"Kid…I don't envy you." Ibiki said before leaving.

"Before we leave look over this map. It's the route we'll be following to get to the Land of Water." Hinata said with a glare as Kirdei caught up to her. Kirdei's eyes followed the line to a small village along the southern cost of the Land of Fire…a couple of miles away from Hakumeigakure.

Kirdei's eyes hardened with anger as he glared at the dark haired Jonin but only nodded as he handed the map back. She was taking them out of the way just to go closer to his former village.

"Let's go…"

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_Hokage's Tower, An hour earlier_

"I suppose the time is right to tell you…well actually it's long past time but there were outstanding circumstances." Tsunade said quietly to Naruto. "Of course you should know that it was all for your protection." Naruto snarled and slammed the desk again, cracking it.

"Get on with it!" He yelled.

_SMACK!_

"Calm down! You will not yell at your Hokage like that. I swear you've grown up but sometimes you're still such a child!" Tsunade said as she sat back down into her chair. Naruto rubbed his cheek and had the decency to look embarrassed. Tsunade gestured to a chair for him to sit down.

"You know of course that the Fox had come to Konoha years ago and nearly destroyed the village until the fourth Hokage sealed the demon inside you. It hasn't been a secret for a long time. What you haven't been told is the reason you were chosen for this burden." Tsunade explained. Naruto scooted to the edge of his chair in anticipation; his eyes growing wider as he neared the truth.

"Naruto, The Fox called you Naruto Namikaze because Uzumaki is your mother's maiden name. You are Naruto Namikaze because, in order to protect you, you're identity was hidden because you're father is Minato Namikaze, The Fourth Hokage!" Tsunade declared. Truth be told she didn't have to take so long to say it but despite the circumstances she just loved messing with him.

Naruto's eyes dulled for just a fraction of a second. Memories from the academy came rushing back. Iruka-sensei standing in front of the class as he announced the next section they would be studying. The excitement he felt when he heard stories of the great fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze. Wishing that someone legendary like him was his father…

"Are you ok, Naruto? I know this is overwhelming, guilt, sadness or most likely anger at what he did to you but let's talk this out." Tsunade said as she stood and placed a hand on his shoulder. At her touch his eyes focused again.

"The Fourth is my father…he sealed the Strongest of demons into his own son. Left him alone…" Naruto said quietly.

"Naruto, please try to understand even if you're angry, he had no choice." Tsunade offered. Naruto lowered his head and shook a little.

"No you're wrong. He had many choices. Surely I wasn't the only one born that day in a village this size. And years ago I probably would have been furious…but now…I understand. When I woke up in Chiri those many months ago, I thought hard about whether I had family somewhere. Kids who were missing their father. And when I think on that…If I had to choose to put a demon in someone else's child or my own…I think my own would be the only one I would trust for the job." Naruto grinned. "But why wasn't I told sooner?" Naruto said as he looked up at Tsunade.

"The third Hokage hid it from everyone. Only a select few even knew the Fourth had a child. Your father had many enemies and there are also many who would exploit the power that he no doubt passed on to his child through his blood. Your mother was a relative unknown from a village that no longer existed. Kushina's enemies thought she and her entire family had perished. It was the best he could do without separating you completely from your bloodline." Naruto nodded slowly.

"Kushina and Minato…Mom and Dad. I want to know more about them!" Tsunade walked over to a filing cabinet pulled out some paper and brought it over to her desk. After writing on it she handed the papers over to Naruto.

"Later. Take those downstairs first. The first paper is a release form to give you a few mementos that the Third managed to put away in storage, in there is your original birth certificate. The second one is a name change form. You're old enough now to protect yourself. If you want to take your true name on and let the public know you really are and what your parent really named you, that's the form to do it. I've already filled everything out and stamped it with my official seal. You just have to sign."

Naruto nodded as he stood up and left.

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Sakura was waiting for Naruto downstairs. When Naruto finally came down his expression worried her.

"What's wrong, Naruto?" She said as he walked up to him and kissed him.

"Just come with me for now. I'll explain everything later." He said as he grabbed her hand and dragged her along.

"Naruto what's going on? Why are you acting like this? What are those paper's for?" Sakura questioned, but Naruto just continued forward. They arrived at the front desk and Naruto handed over the some of the papers. The Chunin at the front desk looked down at the papers then up at Naruto the back at the papers a few times. The stunned Chunin went to the back room for a second and returned with an angry, disgruntled looking Jonin who glanced at the papers then a Naruto, before nodding and heading into the back.

"I-It'll be just a moment, sir."The Chunin stuttered. It was a well known myth among the tower administration that the box the Naruto's form requested contained the last known items that belonged to the Fourth Hokage. Only the current Hokage could access or give permission to boxes like that so a myth it remained.

'How a brat like Uzumaki got permission for this is beyond me…' he thought as he watched the Hokage's apprentice pester the Jinchuriki with questions. His supervisor came out of the back with the box in question and handed it and the key over to Naruto before returning to the back.

"I need to turn these in as well." Naruto said politely. The Chunin barely glanced at the papers. Standard name change form, it was pretty common to change one's name in the ninja world officially in order to get official documents for long term missions in foreign and hostile nations.

"Sir, you'll have to take this up a floor to Ninja Affairs. We can't process this here."

Naruto simply nodded and dragged the girl back towards the stairs.

"Naruto where are we going?! What the hell is in that box?! Talk to me!" Sakura screamed.

The Chunin shook his head. 'I don't envy him…'

Upstairs he handed his papers over to the Genin at the front desk who immediately began the processing as if he'd done it a million times before. It wasn't until he reached the new last name box did he trip up.

"Wait a second. Do you think this is funny? Is this some sort of prank? You can't take that name. It's just wrong that someone like _you_ would defile such an honored name!" The Genin ranted. Despite his low rank the Genin was middle aged. He had either pissed off someone important or never tried to get a promotion. But there was no doubt about him being around for Naruto's birth and his feelings about him.

"Let me speak to your supervisor, _Genin._" Naruto stressed the man's rank.

It was obvious to Naruto why he was where he was, speaking in such a fashion to a Jonin who, from what he had remembered so far and what others had told him, earned every last bit of his rank. Not to mention the fact that he was a very powerful man with a demon inside of him…

The man suddenly remembered that he was indeed a ninja in the Konoha military and shrunk back a bit.

"Yes, s-sir." He quickly got up and left to get his supervisor. When they returned the Chunin in charge of NA glanced over the documents.

"You're kidding. This has to be a joke."

"Naruto, what is going on?!" Sakura asked for the millionth time.

"I'm sure you recognize the Hokage's hand writing, yes? She filled out everything herself." The man hesitated. Sure enough it was her hand writing…

"I'll be back…" The man withdrew to his desk and picked up a phone. Naruto grinned slightly as he heard yelling come out the hearing piece. The Chunin quickly returned and smiled sheepishly.

"Finish processing the paperwork _now._" The Genin looked aghast as he stared at his boss.

"Ah, just move out of the way." He said with frustration. Within minutes the Chunin finished the paperwork and handed a copy back to Naruto.

"Sorry for the trouble and have a nice day Mr. Namikaze." Sakura could only gape at Naruto who shot her a roguish grin at her.

"Let's go out for some ramen."

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_Two Weeks Later_

Kirdei was relieved when they arrived in the Land of Water. The trip there had been a horrible ordeal. Hinata had insisted on taking a detour to view the site of Kiba's death and they spent two days there while Hinata mourned him.

Kirdei didn't say a word, especially after he had mentally accused her of trying to hurt him by taking him back there. Instead he left her to grieve and went to the ruins of Hakumei to visit the ghosts of his past.

Hinata had redoubled her anger and coldness towards him ever since. Fortunately it was a short trip after they got through customs to the village their mission was centered at which meant that it would be a short trip home. Then he could find out what the Hokage was planning.

"The guards at the town seemed odd, don't you think?" Kirdei said, mostly to himself, as they walked down the road. "They were very fidgety when they looked at out papers, more so than guards who see ninja passing through everyday should be." Hinata remained silent but thought about what he said.

'He has a point…something isn't right.' She thought as she reached for the straps on her back.

"We're going to speed 'up. Try not to fall behind." Hinata said tonelessly while pulling the straps tighter. With that she increased her speed.

The first warning signs came when they began to smell smoke. It was easy enough to ignore that first sign as many villages burn their trash but as they drew closer they never met a soul. If that wasn't enough the entire area was silent.

Kirdei pulled his coat tighter around himself as a light snow began to fall.

"Something's wrong…" Kirdei said as they rounded a bend. Unfortunately, nothing could prepare him for what he saw. The entire village was in ruins. Flashbacks of the destruction of his own home flashed before his eyes as he approached. "Oh gods…" he whispered.

As they entered the smoking ruins they nearly gagged as the scent of blood and smoke filled their noses. The ground and walls that were left standing were covered in blood yet not a single body was to be found. Not even trails of blood where bodies were dragged or survivors limped away; just pools of dark, crimson liquid everywhere.

"Did things finally breakdown between the family and villagers?" Kirdei whispered quietly.

"Don't be stupid. There would be more signs of struggle than there…are…what the hell!?" Hinata nearly screamed. Before her was a massive paw print. "Was there a summoning battle here? There should be more damage than this though…"

"**Interesting…I should have known your Hokage would be on to me.**" Someone said. Kirdei spun on his heels as the familiar voice rang out.

"Is this your doing, Madara?!" Kirdei yelled as he spotted Madara sitting on a crumbling wall.

"You…" Hinata gasped. "You're that man…Tobi!" Madara laughed as her as he nudged his orange mask.

"Stay back, Hinata." Kirdei said as he placed himself between her and Madara, "This guy is dangerous, more than you could possibly know."

"**Isn't it about time you came home, Kirdei? I've let you run your legs a bit, now it's time for you to get back to work.**"

"I'll n…" Kirdei began to reply but he was cut off.

"You…You're still in league with them! You're still Akatsuki!" Hinata said as she drew out a kunai and got into a fighting stance. "_Byakugan!_ I told you what would happen if you betrayed Konoha, Kirdei!" Kirdei never looked back at her.

"**Oh and who's this little firecracker? She your girlfriend? Is that what's keeping you away? I suppose we could take her with us…**" Madara said causing Hinata to sputter denials.

"No…No she's not my girlfriend. In fact she hates me. She was Kiba's fiancée. You remember don't you? You were watching the entire time." Kirdei said. "She blames me for his death."

"**Ah yes. The boy with the dog. Quite a coincidence actually. Wolf, Come out there's someone I want you to meet.**" Wolf suddenly burst out from behind a wall and charged Kirdei.

"Die!" Wolf yelled as he began to draw his sword. Without blinking, however, Kirdei backhanded him. Wolf skidded to a stop below Madara. Wolf sat up and glared at Kirdei as he wiped the blood that was dripping from his nose.

"**Down, boy. Stay…Good boy.**" Madara chided causing Wolf to glare up at him.

"_Soshigan!_" Kirdei yelled as he settled into a stance. "Hinata run. Now! Get back to Konoha. Warn them that Akatsuki is on the move!"

"**Now now Kirdei, Let's not have that. She hasn't even been properly introduced. Young Lady, this is Wolf Kasaikou. He's the one who tore your fiancées guts out with his bare hands.**" As Madara said this Wolf smirked.

"You bastard!" Hinata yelled as she shoved her way in front of Kirdei. "I'll kill you, you son of a…" Madara suddenly glared at her with his Sharingan in a smooth move he drew a kunai and flung it at her face. The sudden wave of bloodlust that accompanied the attack paralyzed Hinata. She could only watch as the knife approached.

_Splat…drip….drip…_

Hinata blinked a few times before she realized what happened. The shock had caused her Byakugan to shut off and it left her blinded for a second.

"You will not touch her. I swore to myself that even though Kiba died, she wouldn't suffer the same fate. It isn't what Kiba would want." Kirdei said as blood dripped down his forearm.

"Y-you… s-s-saved…" Hinata stuttered for the first time in years.

Kirdei winced as he grabbed the Kunai and ripped it from his forearm. His Soshigan took a black color and his tomoe faded to white.

"There's a black chakra hanging over the area…What happened here Madara. How did all these people die?!" Kirdei snarled.

"**So you do care for her…interesting. I can honestly say I don't know exactly but it wasn't me…seems very reminiscent of when the Nine-tailed Fox attacked Konoha though…**" Kirdei's eyes widened for a moment then began to change to a deep purple as he slowly formed hand signs, drawing in his chakra.

"Right then. _Lightning Style: Static Palms_. Hinata go. I'll take care of this. They know too much." Kirdei said has his hands began crackling with electricity.

"But your arm! There's no way you can beat him!" Hinata cried.

"Doesn't matter. We won't get away if he doesn't want us to. But I have some theories about his jutsu I'm going to test out. It's my only chance to let you get away safely. Now go!" Kirdei yelled as he drew _Dawn_ from his belt and leapt towards Madara, his lightning chakra flowing into the weapon causing it to crackle with electricity.

Madara flashed forward in a burst of speed, catching Kirdei's dagger.

"**You'll never kill me using only half your power…where's that fancy black-hilted artifact you were sporting last time we met? Ah, doesn't matter…Wolf we're leaving. Kirdei's useless until he regains his full power.**"

"But now's our chance to kill him! While he's weak! Why do you keep letting him go?!" Wolf snarled. He was getting sick and tired of letting the traitor walk free.

"**You are the only one who wants to kill him…I have great plans for him. But not as he is now. We're leaving. Farewell Kirdei. Next time we meet you better be at full power because I'm almost out of patience.**" Madara said before punching Kirdei in the stomach causing Kirdei to collapse. "**Hyuga girl. Be a dear and keep him alive won't you? I wouldn't mind having your talents as well so keep it in mind that you have caught my interests as well.**" He said as he grabbed wolf by the scruff of his cloak.

"Kirdei!" Hinata yelled as Madara vanished along with Wolf. She began shaking him gently as she tried to wake him up. "Kirdei, please wake up…"

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Author's Note

Hey, it's been awhile. Unfortunately my motivation until recently to get this chapter wasn't enough to rouse me. Fortunately it gave me plenty of time to plot things out. Leave some reviews!


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